Quick Points: Haven't been able to use your $10 Amex dining credit before the end of the month? Use this trick

There's a lot I love about the American Express® Gold Card. One of my favorite perks is the up to $10 monthly dining statement credit (up to $120 each calendar year) that you can use at The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Grubhub, Wine.com and Five Guys. Enrollment required, terms apply.

But last month, I was traveling overseas until May 1, so it looked like I would forfeit my up to $10 April dining credit.

As it turns out, there's a solution that you may be able to use to redeem your expiring dining credit in the first few days of the next month.

Related: 5 things to do when you get the Amex Gold

Grubhub preordering

When you place a pickup or delivery order with Grubhub, you can preorder your food up to four days in advance at participating restaurants. To preorder, select "Change order settings."

On the next screen, you can change your delivery or pickup time if your restaurant participates in preordering.

When I preordered my meal on April 28 for pickup on May 1 (the day I returned to the U.S.), I was charged for my order on April 28. A few days later, I received my up to $10 April dining credit from Amex.

I also placed a second Grubhub order on May 1 for pickup ASAP at the same restaurant where I preordered my meal a few days before. That way, I could use my up to $10 May credit for the same restaurant, pick up both orders simultaneously and enjoy leftovers for days.

Related: 5 under-the-radar ways to maximize the Amex Gold's dining credits

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Bottom line

Preordering your meal on Grubhub may be a way to redeem an expiring Amex Gold dining credit in the first few days of the next month. This worked perfectly for me when I was traveling abroad and was close to missing out on the monthly credit. In fact, you might be able to use this tip to redeem two months' worth of dining credits on the same day by placing two separate orders.

Remember that you may incur additional service and delivery fees if you order two separate delivery orders (instead of pickup orders).

To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.

Apply here: American Express Gold Card

Related: Why changes to the Amex Gold Card made me love it even more